[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nf_drive.jpg]][[caption-width-right:350:Time for me to ''Series/{{Drive}}'' to my ''Series/{{Castle}}'' so I can experience some ''Film/{{Serenity}}'' watching ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''.]]

->''"I'm a dork. I collect comic books. I still love cartoons. I'd rather be at home on a Friday night playing D&D than hanging out in some loud, overcrowded club. My sense of humor is that of a geek. My likes and dislikes are those of a geek. I've memorized the dialogue of every crappy sci-fi movie there is, but I still haven't seen ''Film/SchindlersList''."''-->-- '''Nathan Fillion'''

Nathan Fillion is a Canadian TV and movie actor who [[WebVideo/CommentaryTheMusical started off in the]] [[OneLifeToLive soaps]]. Since then, he's moved on to a number of famous roles. A few of his characters can be morally questionable or bordering {{jerkass}} territory, but [[RealLife/MeanCharacterNiceActor he's a really nice guy in person]]. [[FunPersonified And quite a comedian]].

'''His roles include:'''

* Malcolm Reynolds, captain of the Series/{{Firefly}}-class vessel ''Film/{{Serenity}}''.* The first Joey Buchanan in ''OneLifeToLive''.* Gunnery Sergeant Edward Buck in {{Creator/Bungie}}'s ''VideoGame/Halo3ODST'', starring alongside fellow ''Firefly'' mains Creator/AdamBaldwin and Creator/AlanTudyk. ** Edward Buck again in ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians'', who's now a [[SuperSoldier Spartan-IV]].* Richard Castle, novelist-turned police consultant in the self-titled series ''Series/{{Castle}}''.* Captain Hammer, [[WebVideo/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog Dr. Horrible's nemesis]].* [[SinisterMinister Caleb]] in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', a major case of PlayingAgainstType* Alex Tully in ''{{Series/Drive}}'', another cancelled-after-4-episodes series from TimMinear.* Bill Pardy, town sheriff from ''Film/{{Slither}}''.* Father David in ''Film/{{Dracula 2000}}''.* Steve Trevor in the [[WesternAnimation/WonderWoman Wonder Woman animated film]].* [[NiceGuy Dr.]] [[{{Adorkable}} Pomatter]] in the independent comedy ''Film/{{Waitress}}''.* [[TheAce Cactoid Jim and Jefferson Reid]] in the old-time radio style show ''Podcast/ThrillingAdventureHour''.* Constable Dogberry in Creator/JossWhedon's production of Creator/WilliamShakespeare's ''Theatre/MuchAdoAboutNothing''.* [[JerkJock Johnny Worthington III]] in ''WesternAnimation/MonstersUniversity''.* Hermes, god of thieves and travelers and father of [[BigBad Luke Castellan]] in ''PercyJackson: Sea of Monsters''. * [[AristocratsAreEvil Preston Northwest]] in ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls''* Cayde-6 in ''Videogame/{{Destiny}}''.

The first of those roles earned him most of his recognition, despite the short run of the series. Numerous bit parts include cameos as Buck (''again'') in ''VideoGame/HaloReach'', a Sgt. [[ShoutOut Reynolds]] in ''VideoGame/{{Halo 3}}'', James ''Frederick'' Ryan in ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan'', and Kate's ex-husband in ''{{Series/Lost}}''. Before that, {{BioWare}} had him voicing Gao The Lesser in ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire''. He also voiced Vigilante in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Unlimited''.

He was also [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hTiRnqnvDs used as Hal Jordan]] in a fan trailer for the proposed ''GreenLantern'' film, which he thought was awesome. He wasn't actually cast in ''Film/GreenLantern'', but he ''was'' cast as Hal in the 2011 direct-to-DVD DCAU ''WesternAnimation/GreenLanternEmeraldKnights''. He reprised the role in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueDoom'' and ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueTheFlashpointParadox''. Similarly, he was in talks to play [[Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger Captain America]], but the role went to Creator/ChrisEvans. However, he did end up playing a superhero (well, a satirical one anyway) known as The Holy Avenger in ''Film/{{Slither}}'' director James Gunn's second film ''Film/{{Super}}''. He's also begun a ViralMarketing campaign to get himself the role of [[{{VideoGame/Uncharted}} Nathan Drake]]. [[http://m.deadline.com/2010/10/david-o-russell-tapped-to-direct-vidgame-uncharted-drakes-fortune/ Comment here and help him out!]]

Regarding ''Firefly'', he said in a [[http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/18/firefly.returns.ew/ interview ]] that if he had $300 million, he'd buy the rights to ''Firefly'' and make it his own. This being the internet, a brief but passionate movement sprang up to help him do such a thing, but it fell apart due to a lack of official support from Fillion himself and/or Creator/JossWhedon.

He has a [[http://twitter.com/NathanFillion Twitter account]] and is very good at making MemeticMutation {{Catch Phrase}}s such as "Bam, said the lady" and "Feed the birds." Both have had cameos on his hit show ''Series/{{Castle}}'' (as well as "Double Rainbow", a meme that he ''didn't'' start.)

He's also OneOfUs. Con-goers pass around a story where a few friends sat down for some ''Firefly'' pen-and-paper action. Nathan approached the table and purportedly requested to play as... River. His interactions with fans extend online as well, as evidenced in the following: In early August of 2012, he conducted a [[http://www.reddit.com/r/Denver/comments/xl3ih/this_is_a_test/ question-and-answer session on]] {{Reddit}}. Here's [[https://twitter.com/NathanFillion/status/231142485336944640 proof for the skeptics]] that it is/was really him. Some other geek facts:* He kicked [[Music/JustinBieber Justin Bieber's]] ass in ''VideoGame/HaloReach''. According to him it "felt good". Also, there are two exceptions to the statement "Only {{Creator/Bungie}} employees have flaming heads in ''{{VideoGame/Halo 3}}''." Those two are a contest winner and Nathan Fillion. * He has dated Creator/TriciaHelfer (Number Six in ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'') in the past, and called it the best date he had ever had when questioned on it by a fan.

Bizarrely, he has been [[CelebrityResemblance mistaken]] for Creator/JasonBateman several times by both normal people and celebrities alike to the point where it is a Real Life RunningGag. But of course, Nathan takes no offense to it and continues documenting the instances where it happens because he's just that awesome. It might help that on one of those occasions [[Funny/NathanFillion it got him out of a speeding ticket]].

Oh, and [[EvenTheGuysWantHim he really is]] [[CatchPhrase ruggedly]] [[{{Series/Castle}} handsome]].----!!Tropes Associated with Mr. Fillion: * {{Expy}}: His role as Sheriff Bill Pardy in ''Film/{{Slither}}'' can be compared to Paul Linke's character of Sheriff Bruce Smith of ''Film/MotelHell'', due to their roles as brown-haired and seemingly meek and mild-mannered sheriffs who both happened to be protagonists of horror comedy B-movies and are both a naive IdiotHero in a way.** Nathan's role as Preston Northwest in ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' is a somewhat of a loose cartoon version of Larry Hagman's character J.R. Ewing from the television show ''Series/{{Dallas}}'', just without the stetson and the Southern accent, with a mustache and if J.R. was an outright CardCarryingVillain rather just being AffablyEvil.* LargeHam: At times, though it comes with being FunPersonified. * OldShame: Averted, to the point of reprising the role of Joey Buchanan on OLTL in 2007, having nice things to say about his SoapOpera days and unashamedly tells funny stories about "three faces of acting" as well as how useful a school it was.* OneOfUs: He's an avid gamer (see him here at [[http://www.gamerfellowship.org/images/nathansocal.jpg GenCon SoCal]])and into lots of out-of-mainstream stuff. And he's sorry too that ''Firefly'' was cancelled so soon and fondly remembers it as the best acting job he ever had.** He also loves ''{{Community}}'' [[http://www.avclub.com/article/batten-down-the-internet-nathan-fillion-will-also--103786 this much]].* RecognitionFailure: Nathan and WilWheaton told attendees at Ottawa [=ComicCon=] 2013 how they had been to a local restaurant the previous evening when a enthusiastic fan approached their table for a photograph with Wheaton and, not having any idea who Fillion was, asked him to take the photo.* StarMakingRole: Captain Malcolm Reynolds of ''Firefly'' in sci-fi circles, but Richard Castle of ''Castle'' made him known to the mainstream audience.----